Today I am relishing in the bland peacefulness of a day without drama. Adelle has yet to have a fever for the first time in 17 days, we had an uneventful trip to the mall for about an hour, and now everyone is laying down for a bit of a rest (Adelle naps while Cora lays down in the living room watching TV). It's a plain day and if you ask me, those are the best. My favorite, in fact.
What better to go with a plain day than a wonderful chicken dinner. This is a low-cal, low-fat recipe that uses a cornmeal/cornstarch mixture to create a crispy outer layer without the skin. I buy my cornmeal at our local Natural Grocery/Food Co-op -- it's much less expensive than the supermarket (and it's organic). The finishing sauce to this recipe is a breeze to make in just a few minutes. I've used the leftover chicken to make a great salad for lunch the next day.
Chicken with Lemon-Herb Sauce
Chicken:
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon cornstarch
4 skinless chicken breasts (bone-in or boneless)
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
Sauce:
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 green onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon parsley, minced
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, chilled
salt and pepper
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine the cornmeal and cornstarch together in a shallow dish. Pat the chicken dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Press the skin-side of the skinless chicken into the cornmeal mixture to coat (only coating one side of the chicken).
2. Heat the oil in an oven-proof 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken well on both sides, 8 to 10 minutes.
3. With the skinned-side down, transfer the skillet to the oven. Cook until the chicken registers 160-165 degrees, about 10-15 minutes.
4. Carefully remove the skillet from the oven (be careful of the hot handle), transfer the chicken to a plate and tent loosely with foil.
5. For the sauce, heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the green onion and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in the flour and cook for 30 seconds. Whisk in the broth and any accumulated chicken juice from the skillet and simmer until thickened and reduced to about 1/2 cup, 3 to 5 minutes.
6. Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice, parsley, butter and salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve.
What better to go with a plain day than a wonderful chicken dinner. This is a low-cal, low-fat recipe that uses a cornmeal/cornstarch mixture to create a crispy outer layer without the skin. I buy my cornmeal at our local Natural Grocery/Food Co-op -- it's much less expensive than the supermarket (and it's organic). The finishing sauce to this recipe is a breeze to make in just a few minutes. I've used the leftover chicken to make a great salad for lunch the next day.
Chicken with Lemon-Herb Sauce
Chicken:
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon cornstarch
4 skinless chicken breasts (bone-in or boneless)
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
Sauce:
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 green onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon parsley, minced
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, chilled
salt and pepper
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine the cornmeal and cornstarch together in a shallow dish. Pat the chicken dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Press the skin-side of the skinless chicken into the cornmeal mixture to coat (only coating one side of the chicken).
2. Heat the oil in an oven-proof 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken well on both sides, 8 to 10 minutes.
3. With the skinned-side down, transfer the skillet to the oven. Cook until the chicken registers 160-165 degrees, about 10-15 minutes.
4. Carefully remove the skillet from the oven (be careful of the hot handle), transfer the chicken to a plate and tent loosely with foil.
5. For the sauce, heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the green onion and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in the flour and cook for 30 seconds. Whisk in the broth and any accumulated chicken juice from the skillet and simmer until thickened and reduced to about 1/2 cup, 3 to 5 minutes.
6. Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice, parsley, butter and salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve.